Cash boost for Deaf Society's development

Regional Community Fund backs Doncaster & District Deaf Societys Development Teams Office and Teaching Equipment Project for Training & Job Prospects

Doncaster & District Deaf Society’s Development Team received the grant from a regional fund supporting local communities throughout Yorkshire and Humber.

The Deaf Society’s Development Team launched two years ago to concentrate on improving the deaf centre, the standard of living, the health and well being and develop skills for better job prospects for deaf people in Doncaster.

The £5,000 funding will contribute to the team’s continuing efforts to make a difference in the local deaf community, promoting employment prospects and establishing links with local businesses.

The Doncaster & District Deaf Society’s chairperson, Mark Tolson, said: “We are all volunteers and absolutely delighted to have received this funding that will help us build on the work we have already done in offering deaf adult training classes in British Sign Language.

“The equipment will help enormously to offer further adult education and train deaf people into employment opportunities.

“We will also be able to set up a modern equipped office, which we have never had. A wonderful addition of training for members of all ages of the Doncaster Deaf Community Centre.”

The EN:Able Community Investment Fund is generated through Efficiency North’s procurement frameworks for construction and maintenance schemes for social housing. The Fund is targeted at local projects that are sustainable over the long term, provide local employment opportunities, encourage self-sufficiency and that will also provide long term benefits for the wider local community.

Efficiency North’s social value manager, Paul Mitchell, said: “Competition for funding was tough. We received over 100 applications for a total of nearly £900k. Bids were received from a diverse range of excellent projects working to support the communities of social housing landlords throughout the region.

The standard of applications was exceptionally high this year with some very close scoring and strong competition between so many excellent local projects.

“It’s great that Efficiency North can generate so much funding for such a diverse range of initiatives but we always like to do more and intend that EN:Able funding will again increase substantially when it opens next year.”

The next round of funding applications will open in August 2017.